What was your first experience with playing music? Essentially, when did you begin?

It’s kind of crazy because honestly, as long as I can remember, I’ve always sang. It’s been inside of me that I had to sing. It was just part of me. Ever since I can remember. In high school, I didn’t have a job at a grocery store, or something like that. I made it a point to sing at restaurants. Sometimes I didn’t get paid or whatever, but as long as I was in front of people, that’s kind of all that matter. I played at the weirdest places (laughs). A greek restaurant, a Mexican restaurant, anywhere and everywhere basically. I sang covers. I’d thrown in originals every now and then, but I’d sing covers of pop songs that I really liked, and tried to make them my own.

You definitely have a pop-meets-RNB vocal style. Where do your musical influences stem from?

I have so many of them, it’s ridiculous! Anywhere from the soulful guys like Elvis, and Marvin Gaye, and The Temptations and stuff, to modern day people like Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake, and Taylor Swift. They really inspire me a lot, all in different ways too. I love that music. That’s kind of the first music that I heard, so my voice kind of gravitated towards that. I love pop music; modern pop music is just the best ever.

Tell me about the song “Heartstrings”. How did this song come about?

“Heartstrings” actually comes from a real life experience. Everybody tells a story of being with someone who’s really hot and cold, and so frustrating. I think it’s an emotion that anyone who’s been in a relationship has experienced. And I think that even if they haven’t been in a relationship, they’ve had that experience before. I wrote with a producer named Johnny Andrews. It comes from a real life experience. I’m really excited about it.

Where does the name “Heartstrings” come from? Does that sort of tie in the with “hot and cold” element, that metaphor of someone pulling on your heartstrings?

Exactly! It’s about a girl who’s pulling on my heartstrings. It’s like “first you say you love me, then you say you’re leaving.” It’s like , “just tell me yes or no.”

What made you decide that you wanted to premiere this song as your debut single?

Like I said, I think that people really connect to it. I’m so excited about this song. It’s being played on the radio, and it’s crazy to me. It’s a dream come true. I think that people really like it, and I’m really excited about that.

You’ve recently done tours with artists like Emblem3, MKTO, Ariana Grande, and Big Time Rush. What is your mindset when it comes to preparing to open up for such large scale acts?

I’m such big fans of everyone I’ve gotten an opportunity to open for. It’s crazy because they teach me something different every time that I open for them. I always watch the show; I never go back and sit in the green room. I want to make sure to watch them. From like Big Time Rush, I learned that those guys have crazy energy and the crowd loves it. From Ariana Grande, the way that she smiles and interacts with the fans is great, it’s amazing. I see something different every time. I really enjoy opening for these acts because I love connecting with their fans. That really means a lot to me. I love their fans, and when I get to make new ones, that’s amazing.

What kind of message would you like fans to walk away with after listening to your music?

I think that connecting with them is really, really important to me. I want them to walk away with a positive message, because I’m all about sensitivity, and the fact that life is social. Let’s live it! Even though “Heartstrings” isn’t about the most positive of things, I want them to walk away with a positive message.

What does music mean to you?

There’s else that I really do in life. Music is the only thing that I’m doing. It’s the one thing other than my family that has been there my entire life, that has never let me down. Music is, it sounds cliché, but it’s everything to me. It’s my life.

What are the future plans for Spencer Sutherland? Any new music, videos, tours, that you want to let fans know about, go for it!

All of the above! Pretty much everything mentioned above is in the works. I can’t say too much, but you can definitely expect some new shows dates, new tour, new music, basically everything.